Service dog reject Ricochet becomes surfer dude

LOS ANGELES 
Ricochet is a service dog dropout. It's not that she wasn't dog enough. To the contrary, there was way too much dog in her.

Her undoing? Chasing birds. But she's found redemption in the ocean, surfing to raise money for a quadriplegic teen.

Ricochet, a 19-month-old golden retriever, lives with Judy Fridono in Escondido, about 25 miles north of San Diego. The two set out to raise $7,000 to help Patrick Ivison, a 15-year-old who was just a year old when he was run over by a car.

They exceeded that goal when Ricochet competed in the inaugural Surf City Surf Dog Contest in Huntington Beach, bringing her summer fundraising total to more than $8,200, Fridono said. The playful surfer dog came in second in the large dog finals Sunday, even with a special bootie she wore after tearing a paw pad while racing around the beach a few days before the contest.

Ricochet plans to continue hanging 20 and raising money to help with Ivison's physical therapy. Insurance pays for one hour of therapy every week, but the San Diego high school sophomore needs six.

Dog and dog owner hope to eventually help someone else after Ivison.

Ricochet had nearly nine months of service dog training behind her when her bird problem developed at the beach one day. Fridono was brokenhearted.

"I didn't want her to just become a pet dog," she said. "So rather than focus on what she couldn't do, we focused on what she could do. And that was surfing."

Ricochet had worked with a boogie board in the puppy pool during service dog training and developed remarkable balance. So she was spayed and Rip Curl Ricki – her surfer girl nickname – was born. She entered her first surfing contest in June, then Fridono set up "Surfin' for Paws-abilities," the fundraising drive.

Ivison had been surfing adaptively for about seven years, so it seemed natural that they would meet and team up. He said he couldn't ride the adaptive surfboard, which is built for two people, without Ricochet.

"She acts as that second person. She knows how to balance, too. She leans back and turns the board and it's pretty cool to watch."

The two started surfing together in August. During dozens of rides, they have wiped out just a few times, Fridono said. Ivison never surfs alone – a support team of family and friends keeps him from getting in trouble in the water. And Ricochet never leaves his side when they topple, Fridono said.

"It's like she was born to surf with him. She just seems to know what to do and where to stand," Fridono said.

Ivison added: "We aren't doing any big waves so that helps us out."

Fridono said she wasn't sure Ricochet could even surf after hurting her paw, but there was no stopping her. "The crowd loved it, and the 'paw-parazzi' was surrounding them after they left the water," she said.

While Ricochet and Ivison have developed a special beach bond, Ivison goes home with Kona, a golden Labrador service dog graduate. Ricochet paid the organization Paws'itive Teams of San Diego to purchase and train the dog. Kona, a 2-year-old male, is still getting to know Ivison and his family – mom Jennifer Kayler, grandparents Bob and Janice Kayler and sister Sam, 12.

They're doing well, except Kona and Flower the family cat may never be friends. Ivison is able to feed and groom Kona, though the dog doesn't like getting his teeth brushed or ears cleaned.

Kona will come in even handier soon. Ivison hopes to start driving and will need someone with him constantly. "It was a dog or my mother. I love my mom to death but she can't always be there," he said.

Ivison's mom has been there every step of the way.

"When I first got injured, they told my mom: 'He is never going to walk and he probably won't be able to move, so get ready to take care of him for the rest of his life,'" he said. "I am living proof that a lot of medical books are wrong."

After four surgeries and years working on his upper body strength, he has some power and even some left hand dexterity. Now he and therapist Jason Smith work incessantly on leg strength.

"All we do is squats and stretching. The only thing keeping me from walking is that I can't bear the weight. I have the balance and desire," he said.

Ivison uses a manual wheelchair because a power chair would detract from his exercise, make him lazy, he said.

"You will never hear me say I can't do something until I've proven by me trying that I can't do it," Ivison said. "Surfing is the most extreme thing I've ever done and taken to the next level. It's my action sport," he said.

His goal is to walk across the stage with a walker when he graduates, but he's thinking of raising the bar even higher.

Fridono is pleased that Ricochet is making a difference, too. No one even blinks these days if she occasionally chases a bird instead of a wave.